UMUC Europe - Expatriate Writers in Paris: 1890 to WWI

By the 1890s, Paris was a modern capital of two million people. The boulevards of late 19th century Paris sparked a war between artists who were for or against the glass, iron, and asphalt transformation of the city. Join us as we study this transformation through visits to the Petit Palais and the Eiffel Tower. We will trace the response of British and American writers in Paris through the works of Henry James and Oscar Wilde, as well as read some short stories and poems which form the intellectual background of the 1890s. Students will walk the contrasting neighborhoods of Bohemian Montmartre and Aristocratic Faubourg St. Germain, and visit the “city” cemetary of Pere LaChaise where Oscar Wilde is buried. As the twentieth century dawns and the Belle Epoque flourishes, we’ll look back at a brilliant Paris before the outbreak of WWI which will change the world—and British and American literature—forever.

Instructor: Ms. Pauline Fry

Requirements

ENGL 289E - Students will take two quizzes, participate in a literary salon, and take a comprehensive examination on the final day of class. This course is open to all students who have successfully completed at least nine hours of university study.
ENGL 389E - In addition to fulfilling lower-level requirements, students will complete a project which will be presented at the end of the course. (A small research library will be available in Paris.)

This Field Study course is applicable to an upper- or lower-level course for English, humanities, or elective credit.

Registration

Tuition for a three-semester-hour course must be paid online through the MyUMUC portal, through the GoArmyEd portal, or through the portal with the help of a UMUC Field Representative at your education center. Please contact your local Field Representative for a Liability Release Form and for additional important information. Tuition Assistance and Financial Aid are applicable toward tuition.

Textbooks

Textbooks, which must be read prior to the course, will be sent to the field representative in the education center where the student has registered for the course. Information packets with additional readings will be forwarded to each student after registration. Textbooks will cost approximately $35. Textbooks and prices are subject to change; field representatives should contact the Field Study Office to confirm details. Textbooks will include:

The American, Henry James
Paris Tales, translated by Helen Constantine
The Portable Oscar Wilde, Oscar Wilde

Students will also be asked to read a selection of poems and two short stories which the instructor will send to registered students.

Accommodations and Transportation

The instructor has reserved double-occupancy rooms with private bath and demi-pension (breakfast and lunch or dinner) at the FIAP in Paris. If the number of students and males/females in a course is uneven, you might be placed in a triple room. An accommodation fee of $485 per student covers hotel for seven nights and museum fees. A $100 down payment is due with registration; the balance of the fee is due by the registration deadline. (Students who choose to stay at the FIAP pay the $485 fee directly to the Field Study Office.) UMUC reserves the right to adjust costs according to the fluctuation of the dollar exchange rate. If the course is cancelled by UMUC, all payments will be refunded. Students are requested to contact the instructor by email regarding accommodations: p.fry@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

Transportation

Transportation is the requirement of the students. (Many low-cost airlines fly into Paris.)

Schedule

First class meeting: Saturday, January 3 at 18:00 in the lobby of the FIAP hotel.
FIAP “Jean Monnet”
(Foyer International d’Accueil de Paris)
30 rue Cabanis
Paris 75014
Metro: Glaciere, Line 6
Tel: +33-(0)1-43-131719

Final class meeting: Saturday, January 10 at the FIAP hotel, ending at 1300 hours.

Important!
Before completing travel plans, it is the student’s responsibility to verify with the field representative or the Field Study Office in Heidelberg that the course will be offered on the dates indicated and/or has materialized. A fee of $100 will be charged to students who cancel from the Field Study course after the registration deadline.

Registration Deadline: 23 Dec 2008

On related pages: Information Sheet | Field Study Home | Field Study FAQ

Last updated: 7 November 2008